Round 8 of the Alpha Showdown 2012 puts a human in the ring, but if anyone can hold their own amid the weird stuff it’s Terrible.

Drug enforcer Terrible knows a thing or two about magic and ghosts — it goes with the territory of being a part of Stacia Kane’s Downside Ghosts world — while Kate Daniels has plenty of experience with supernatural types of all flavors as the heroine of Ilona Andrews’ series of the same name.

Both are fearless and tenacious, but which will win the battle?

Read the pitches, then make the call. Who should advance to the next round in the Alpha Showdown? The poll at the end of this post will be open for two days (closing at 11:59 p.m. CST on May 22). Remember, alphas don’t share titles. Your votes decide who advances in the Alpha Showdown 2012.

ROUND 8: TERRIBLE vs. KATE DANIELS

Terrible

Being Alpha isn’t about being pretty. It’s not about being witty or snarky or supernaturally gifted. A real Alpha inspires respect and maybe a healthy dose of fear. There are few people foolish enough to cross Terrible. He’s a drug dealer’s enforcer, willing and able to take apart any threat with his bulk and bare hands. No fangs. No fur. Just raw power and grit.

His size is impressive and his looks are intimidating, but those are the not only reasons he makes us quake. Terrible possesses unwavering loyalty –not only on the job– but to the woman he has given his heart to. He makes us swoon with the simplicity and single-minded focus of his love and desire for Chess. A man of few words, he means what he says and his actions speak for themselves.

He’s got flaws and he has fears but he’s not ruled by them.

He’s never arrogant, never selfish. He doesn’t abuse his power. But he is strong. He is fierce. And he never gives up. He’ll fight to the death to defend and protect what’s his.

Whether you find him in a bare-knuckled brawl in the street, a frenzied fuck in the bathroom, or an unguarded moment of vulnerability, there’s something undeniably compelling about this man. He is Terrible. Wonderful. Terrifying. Amazing. Alpha.

Kate Daniels is the ultimate Alpha. Really that is all I should have to say to convince you, but I know that it is part of our makeup as human beings to doubt what is said to us outright – that it is in our nature to require more information before deciding on anything important. And seeing that choosing only one Alpha *whispers “Kate”* is probably the most important verdict you will have to make this year, I will grant you what you need: I will tell you exactly why Kate is the only Alpha and I will do so so thoroughly that you will not have a single doubt in your mind.

When you think Alpha, you think strong, loyal, dependable, smart and willing to die to guard those they are sworn to protect. Kate is all those things and more.

She can battle the creepiest vampires, monsters and deities you will ever see. She is loyal almost to a fault; throwing herself into impossible situations because she sees a threat to someone she cares for. Hell, she would die to protect even those she didn’t know just because she felt that standing up and fighting is the best thing to do. She has walked through fire and even stabbed herself in the stomach because it was the best way to save those around her. And if she wants an opponent dead, they will be dead, pure and simple. She is a skilled fighter and one of the most (if not the most) powerful magic users around. Her Power words are scary they are so potent. On top of all that, she has the entire shifter population bowing down to her as she is already their Alpha through being Curran’s mate.

Think about it: She has fought twenty-two shifters to keep Curran in his rightful place as Alpha. That’s no easy feat considering shifters are crazy badasses. So what does it make you if you conquered 22? The Ultimate Alpha that’s what!

I mentioned that she is Curran’s mate. She is a force to be reckoned with on her own, but with Curran by her side, she is even more unstoppable. She never uses him as a crutch nor does she rely on him to help her save the world – she can do that all by herself thank you very much. It’s just nice to have her BFF Andrea and her mate Curran by her side for support sometimes. She is loyal to them therefore they are loyal to her and they would walk into battle just because she asked them too. That right there is proof that she is an amazing woman and that she is capable of leading.

Men want to fuck her, women want to be her. She is fair and just. She can make you laugh and she can bring you to your knees. She is unbreakable, trustworthy, strong and totally kick ass. When voting, she is the best choice. The only choice. Why?